Good, bad news with red-light cameras

HARLINGEN — Although accidents increased at intersections where red-light cameras are installed, the number of red-light violations has gone down, Police Chief Danny Castillo said Wednesday.

From May to October — the first six months of the camera program — red-light violations decreased by 47.1 percent, Castillo said at Wednesday’s City Commission meeting.

Castillo said there were 4,223 confirmed red-light violations in May but only 2,231 in October.

“Whether you have red-light cameras or not, there’s going to be rear-end collisions at intersections,” Castillo said.

There were 57 accidents from May to October at the intersections where cameras were installed, according to Castillo’s report. There were only 43 accidents reported for the same period at the same intersections last year.

But Castillo said accidents involving serious injuries were reduced by 33 percent during the reporting period compared to last year at the intersections with cameras.

“More people are stopping (at red lights) but there’s also some people that are not stopping and that’s why (some people) are getting rear-ended,” Castillo said.

Mayor Chris Boswell seemed pleased with the report.

“Bottom line is that … red-light violations have decreased 47.1 percent,” Boswell said. “And at the very least serious accidents have decreased by 33 percent.”

Boswell said that was the goal of the Harlingen Police Department.

Castillo said the city will have to create a citizen advisory committee to provide input on the red-light camera program.

A state law that went into effect Sept. 1 to regulate red-light camera systems requires the city to appoint such a committee, Castillo said.

The committee will give the Harlingen Police Department input on the nine cameras already installed at five intersections and any camera installed in the future. Under the three-year contract the city has with RedFlex Traffic Systems of Scottsdale, Ariz., the city can still install another 71 cameras for a total of 80 cameras, Castillo said.

Boswell and city commissioners will appoint one committee member each.

State law also requires that the city give the state 50 percent of the revenue made through the program, which is to be distributed among area hospitals for trauma care.

From May to October the city collected $652,968.79 in revenue from the program, but gave the state $345,838.99. The city kept $307,129.80.

Castillo said HPD would continue to monitor the progress of the Red Light Photo Enforcement Program and report back to the commission in another six months.

After the meeting, Castillo said the statistical information is there but some of the information can be very subjective, such as the reason why the accidents have occurred.

“Everyone has an opinion,” Castillo said.

But Castillo said HPD would continue to monitor the statistics and comply with state laws.

“Obviously we still have some work to do,” Castillo said. “We’re going to have to change some things to comply with (the new law). In the spirit of cooperation with the state we need to comply with state government.”

City Commissioner Tom Hushen, a former Harlingen police officer, said the program will work in the long-run but hopes HPD can make the program more “clear cut.”

“As a former police officer I know accidents can vary from month to month. I believe the program will work over time,” Hushen said after the meeting. “People will stop (at red lights) because they know someone is watching. People will get used to it and there will be less running of red lights.”